Improvement in steam-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. BABCOCK, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, AND STEPHEN WIL- Oox, OEBROOKLYN, NEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES. i

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,448, dated June 3,1873 application filed November 7, 1872.

To all whom it may-concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE H. BABOooK, of-Plainiield, Union County, NewJersey, and STEPHEN WILOOX, of Brooklyn, Kin gs County, New York, havek:invented certain Improvements relating to Steam and Gas Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification:

We will describe the invention yas applied to an upright steam-engine,having the cylinder above the crank. We provide more efflciently andconveniently than usual for the successful operation of' the parts whenconsiderably out of line. The following is a description of what weconsider thebest means of carrying out our invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section; Fig. 2 is acorresponding side elevation, also partly in section; and Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section in the plane of the crosshead. This figure shows onlythe parts which lie in the plane of section. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 representcertain parts on a large scale. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the lowerstub end; Fig. 5 Vis a vertical section of the same; and Fig. 6 is avertical section of the same at right angles to the last.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the rigid frame-work, B, the main shaft 5 and B the crank-pin. C isthe cylinder, d, the piston-rod; E, the crosshead,

' and G the connectingrod. Directing attention to the crank-pin B1 andthe adjacent part of the connecting-rod G, it will be observed that thestub end, the enlarged partwof the connectin g-rod, is provided with atapering crosskey, g, with adjusting means adapted to compress togetherand hold lirmly a pair of cheeks having their inner faces boredcylindrically, as indicated by g1 g2. These nicely-finished, hollow,cylindrical faces, properly lubricated, press against correspondinglycylindrical surfaces, which form the outer faces of the boxes or brassesI I, which fit laround the crank-pin BH These brasses, when fitted uponthe crank-pin, present a true cylindrical form, at

right angles to the axis of the'crank-pin B', and the length of thecylinder being justsufficient to fit nicely 'within the stub end, or theK planeenclosin g surfaces formed in the connecting-rod.y Theconstruction of the brasses I I and of the adjacent parts affords broadbearings, easily lubricated andkept in order, to allow theconnecting-rod to adjust itself or vibrate thereon if `the main shaftgets out of line, while the forms are easily produced with ordinarytools, and the brasses and cheeks may be easily taken out and exchangedor adjusted. Theother end of the connectingrod, though of lessimportance, because the motion there is less, is similarly constructed.`It follows that the crank-pin may change its position in variousdirections without causing any oblique strain or tendency to heat in thebearings. Wehave provided, in connection with the above, means forallowing the entire cross-head, with theconnected piston-rod and pistonto turn round a little within its slides, in case the main shaft shouldget out of line laterally, so as to` cause the crank to traverse in aplane oblique to its proper position. It will be understood 'that thebrasses with cylindrical surfacesare not a full equivalent to sphericalbrasses. i They are equivalent "in allowing freely and properly formot-ion in one plane, but not like spherical brasses for a motion inevery direction. We provide means whereby the cross-head E, andconsequently the connecting-rod and its bearings, at both` ends, mayadapt themselves to any change in the plane of the crank. This issecured by making the slide bearings at the ends of the cross-headcylindrical, and correspondingly finishing the slides A by simply boringthem with a cutter set at a' corresponding radius. To effect thislatter, the boring-bar is mounted with its axis in the line to besubsequently occupied by the piston-rod; and after the slides are boredthe cross-head is put in position with its outer faces made to formportions of a corresponding upright cylinder; and onf setting its facesout properly to their bearing the cross-head is efficiently guided andsupportedl against the severe oblique strains of the connecting-rod,while it is free to turn itself in the horizontal plane to any extentdesired in order to correspond in position with the plane of the crank.The above peculiarities of the bearings of the cylindrically-constructedboxes at both ends of the connectingrod and the freely-rotating orself-adjusting piston and cross-head form, in combination, a devicewhich our experiments indicate constitutes a perfect and enduringarrangement, adapted to allow for all possible distortion in theposition of these parts alone. We provide also, in connection therewith,for properly supporting the main-shaft bearings, so that they may alsowork perfectly when greatly out of line. We make the eccentric in theordinary manner and inclose it with an eccentric strap fixed to the rodas usual, but we give a spherical form to the entire bearing surface ofthe eccentric and concave the interior of the strap to match. Veconsider this construction ofthe eccentric and strap simply analogous tothe long-known spherical crank-pin and concave boxes. The main-shaftbearings require more description. We construct each bearing withbrasses having a cylindrical interior fitted to the ordinary cylindricalsurface of the shaft-bearin g, and with a partially spherical exterior.These boxes require to be spherical. Cylindrical bearings, like thosedescribed for the connecting-rod, would not serve here, because there isno corresponding condition inan y other parts to that provided by theturning of the piston and cross-head. The main-shaft bearings are liableto get put of line with each other, either Vin Vthe horizontal or in thevertical plane, or in various oblique positions between. Our brasses forthe main shaft are marked M. Portions of their extriors are perfectlyspherical, and they are made to form a zone of a width greater than thecorrespondingly-bored seat therefor in vthe pedestals A2.

It will not be usually necessary to provide for more than a very slightwabbling motion oft-he boxes, and we can provideV very perfectly formore than will be ever required. The several parts may be variedconsiderably, and in other respects than the features here specificallyreferred to may be constructed and arranged in any ordinary or suitablemanner. A very successful substitute for the turning of the wholecrosshead would be to swivel the jaw carrying the bearing or pin ealone, constructing it separately from the cross-head E and properlymounting-it therein. It is evidently sufficient if the bearing e iscapable of turning a little, whether the entire cross-head turns or not;but we prefer the exact construction represented.

We claim as our invention- 1. The boxes or brasses I I, forming acylinder at right angles to the crank-pin', fitted upon the same andinclosed within cheeks g1 g2 formed and adjusted in the connecting-rodG, as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of. the universal-joint bea-ring on the main shaft B,with the universal-joint bearing on the crank, and with the turnablecross-head bearing e, so as to form a complete engine, adapted to workperfectly when out of line in any and all directions, as specified.

3. The combination of a spherical eccentric with the universal-jointbearing on the main shaft B and the universal-joint bearing on thecrank-pin, substantially as and for the Y purposes specilied.Y Y. n

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 28th day ofAugust, 1872, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. HRMANN, WM. G. DEY.

